Rhetoric Unit
Want to mark up a copy of the Roger Ascham text? The passage from Toxophilus (1545) can be found here.
Check out Lou Gehrig's farewell to baseball speech here.
Judith Ortiz Cofer: "The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria." You will need to either look in your textbook on pages 370-371 at paragraphs 1-2, or you may print off the first two pages of this copy so you can take notes on it if you are so inclined.
Here's a copy of George W. Bush's 9/11 address to the nation. It includes a video feed, too. I suggest reading it first and then watching/listening on a second go-around.
Grab up a copy of Alice Waters' article in The Nation entitled "Slow Food Nation." The specific text we will be examining is in paragraph three.
As a Vice-Presidential candidate, Richard Nixon gave a speech in 1952 defending himself against allegations of inappropriate use of campaign funds. This is his famous "Checkers speech." The portion you need to examine comes in paragraphs 51-52. Paragraph 51 begins with "One other thing I probably should tell you..." You must count the very first address to the American people to get the count correct. Or you can just look for the speaker icon part way down the speech's text; it's the first two paragraphs below the icon.
Need another listen to the inaugural addresses of our Presidents? Here is the inaugural address of President John F. Kennedy which was delivered on January 20, 1961.
Here's another first when it comes to Presidents--the inaugural address of Barack Obama which was delivered on January 20, 2008.
You will find the inaugural address of President Donald J. Trump here; it was delivered on on January 20, 2017.
King George VI delivered this radio address to the British people on September 3, 1939 as his country headed into war with Germany. It is most famously called "The King's Speech."
It's not only Presidents and Kings who have opinions about issues of global concern. George Will, a columnist for the Washington Post and Newsweek commented in his column on "China's ravenous appetite for coal."
When people introduce new ideas, it's good to use humor at times. This can come in the form of tongue-in-cheek teasing or it can be biting sarcasm. Not matter the vehicle, it's important to know your audience if this is to be successful. Read this article by Ruth Markus which was published in the Washington Post on 29 December 2010. The title itself signals a humorous tone, "Crackberry Congress."
Dwight D. Eisenhower's D-Day Statement to soldiers on 6 June 1944. The document will appear to be small; click on it to enlarge it.
Toni Morrison's letter to Presidential candidate Barak Obama. The letter was published in the New York Times on 28 January 2008.
Anne Applebaum's Op-Ed piece in the Washington Post on nuclear reactors from 14 March 2011.
Greta Thunberg: Speech to the Climate Action Summit
Greta Thunberg: Speech to the Climate Action Summit transcript
Greta Thunberg: "The Disarming Case to Act Right Now on Climate Change"
David Wallace-Wells: "It's Greta Thunberg's World"
Vice: Making the World Greta Again
Culminating Activity:
Go here to get the collection of articles on the 1969 moon landings. Bring the materials to class for use.
Close Reading Skills:
Queen Elizabeth I: Speech to the Troops at Tilbury
Winston Churchill: Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat
Ralph Ellison's "On Bird, Bird-Watching, and Jazz" can be found here. You will need to use the separate scroll down bar to get the article. You will need to start reading paragraphs 3-6. You only need to print the first TWO pages of the pdf.
Here's a perspective by Eleanor Clift on John F. Kennedy's Inauguration 50 years later; it's a kind of "inside scoop" on what others were thinking and feeling while they listened to this speech and experienced the day's events.
Here is a photograph of John F. Kennedy's taking the Oath of Office on January 20, 1961.
Winston Churchill: Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat
Ralph Ellison's "On Bird, Bird-Watching, and Jazz" can be found here. You will need to use the separate scroll down bar to get the article. You will need to start reading paragraphs 3-6. You only need to print the first TWO pages of the pdf.
Here's a perspective by Eleanor Clift on John F. Kennedy's Inauguration 50 years later; it's a kind of "inside scoop" on what others were thinking and feeling while they listened to this speech and experienced the day's events.
Here is a photograph of John F. Kennedy's taking the Oath of Office on January 20, 1961.
The Glass Castle and Family Unit:
For the original essay "Shooting Dad" by Sarah Vowell which was adapted for This American Life, you can go here.
Most of us have to deal with the quirks of family members. For a complete version of Sedaris' essay you can go here.
Lars Eighner's experiences with homelessness were documented in his essay "On Dumpster Diving."
"Compassion is not a character trait like a sunny disposition. It must be learned, and it is learned by having adversity at our windows." Barbara Lazear Ascher explores our "compassion muscle" in this short but moving essay here.
E.B. White (Charlotte's Web) writes about a family tradition on a lake in Maine where he has a few epiphanies of his own in "Once More to the Lake."
Are modern kids protected unnecessarily? This Newsweek article explores this question.
Is there a correct way to parent children or is it dependent on how parents were raised? Tom McGrath has something to say about this in his article "Bad Parents."
Author Glennon Doyle discusses the memo each parent received for their respective generation regarding child rearing, and she has plenty to say about it. Check out her memo here.
What is an acceptable age to teach kids responsibility and independence? NPR explores this idea in this brief audio story here.
Want to raise more independent kids? Check out this website aptly entitled Free Range Kids.
While the debate about parenting and parenting styles rages on, the scientific research paints a different picture. Researcher and parent Yuko Munakata explores "parental influence" in her TED talk "The Science Behind How Parents Affect Child Development."
Most of us have to deal with the quirks of family members. For a complete version of Sedaris' essay you can go here.
Lars Eighner's experiences with homelessness were documented in his essay "On Dumpster Diving."
"Compassion is not a character trait like a sunny disposition. It must be learned, and it is learned by having adversity at our windows." Barbara Lazear Ascher explores our "compassion muscle" in this short but moving essay here.
E.B. White (Charlotte's Web) writes about a family tradition on a lake in Maine where he has a few epiphanies of his own in "Once More to the Lake."
Are modern kids protected unnecessarily? This Newsweek article explores this question.
Is there a correct way to parent children or is it dependent on how parents were raised? Tom McGrath has something to say about this in his article "Bad Parents."
Author Glennon Doyle discusses the memo each parent received for their respective generation regarding child rearing, and she has plenty to say about it. Check out her memo here.
What is an acceptable age to teach kids responsibility and independence? NPR explores this idea in this brief audio story here.
Want to raise more independent kids? Check out this website aptly entitled Free Range Kids.
While the debate about parenting and parenting styles rages on, the scientific research paints a different picture. Researcher and parent Yuko Munakata explores "parental influence" in her TED talk "The Science Behind How Parents Affect Child Development."
Education Unit Readings
Francine Prose: "I Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read"
While Francine Prose advocates having students read challenging literature in order to "master...ambiguity and contradiction" and to expose students to works of literature that "expand their capacities and vocabularies" there is a trend in higher education to avoid these very things. The Atlantic explores this new trend and discusses its implications for the future of education and mental health.
Mike Rose: "I Just Wanna Be Average"
Just as Mr. MacFarland helped Mike Rose to believe in his own potential, Victor Rios had a teacher who did the same for him. Now, Rios advocates for a change in the educational system: instead of seeing students as "at-risk," see them as "at potential."
Ralph Waldo Emerson : from Education. Find the paragraph that begins with "I believe our own experience instructs us that the secret of Education lies in respecting the pupil" which is paragraph 28 if you start with the first paragraph of Emerson's text. Read the remaining paragraphs.
Kyoko Mori: "School".
Billy Collins: "The History Teacher"
Reading at Risk Tables: "Trends in Book and Literary Reading" (ix); "Literary Reading by Gender" (x); "Literary Reading by Age" (xi) and "Participation in Cultural and Social Activities" (xii)
Norman Rockwell: The Spirit of Education
David Sedaris: "Me Talk Pretty One Day"
James Baldwin: "A Talk to Teachers"
Malcolm X: "Learning to Read"
Frederick Douglass: "Learning to Read and Write"
Sherman Alexie: "Superman and Me"
Leon Botstein: "Let Teenagers Try Adulthood"
Eric A. Hanushek et al.: U.S. Math Performance in Global Perspective (2009 study results)
Diane Ravitch: "Stop the Madness" You will need to read the following sections: "On 'No Child Left Behind'", "On Her Favorite Teacher", "On How to Improve Our Schools"
David Barboza: "Shanghai Schools' Approach Pushes Students to Top of Tests"
What about the continued debate regarding what is important when it comes to learning material in school? A recent study looked at measuring students' self-control in the digital age, and the results and challenges to the theory are interesting.
The issue of grit is also discussed in the self-control article. Do you have grit? Check out the article and follow the link to the Grit test they offer. Take it and see how you do.
Check out Jessica Lahey's article in The Atlantic entitled "The Gift of Failure." How does this apply to schools today? What needs to happen for this to be a reality for students? Must schools change? Parents? Colleges? Students?
Is the print book dead? Check out this article about e-books versus print books in their battle for market supremacy.
Lover of e-books? Hmm...you may want to check out this article on reading print books versus reading from electronic sources.
In this TED talk by Carol Dweck, she discusses the two ways people approach problem-solving. What mindset do you hold? How could a "growth" mindset help us to be better learners?
Malcolm X describes his coming to understand reading and writing in his essay "Learning to Read." On the 50th anniversary of his assassination, NPR examines Malcolm X as a public speaker. Read the article here and check out the video they also include as he debates James Baldwin. The Code Switch team discusses the difficulty of being a public speaker: rhetoric is hard to craft.
Teachers are everywhere, not just at school. Listen to this inspiring story of a husband who helped his wife with her learning disability. With hard work, patience, and love NOTHING is impossible.
Key and Peele examine the concept of treating teachers like sports stars (and paying them accordingly) in TeachingCenter.
Big Shout Out to MaKenzie Givens (Class of 2020) for these two thought-provoking videos by Prince Ea: "What is School For?" and "I Just Sued the School System." Check them out.
Homework was the BEST thing for students back in the day. Is this still true? Seems like the tide is turning AWAY from loads of homework. Check out the article "The Case for (Quality) Homework" for the most recent trends. Thanks to Abby Davis (Class of 2020) for the information on this interesting article.
While Francine Prose advocates having students read challenging literature in order to "master...ambiguity and contradiction" and to expose students to works of literature that "expand their capacities and vocabularies" there is a trend in higher education to avoid these very things. The Atlantic explores this new trend and discusses its implications for the future of education and mental health.
Mike Rose: "I Just Wanna Be Average"
Just as Mr. MacFarland helped Mike Rose to believe in his own potential, Victor Rios had a teacher who did the same for him. Now, Rios advocates for a change in the educational system: instead of seeing students as "at-risk," see them as "at potential."
Ralph Waldo Emerson : from Education. Find the paragraph that begins with "I believe our own experience instructs us that the secret of Education lies in respecting the pupil" which is paragraph 28 if you start with the first paragraph of Emerson's text. Read the remaining paragraphs.
Kyoko Mori: "School".
Billy Collins: "The History Teacher"
Reading at Risk Tables: "Trends in Book and Literary Reading" (ix); "Literary Reading by Gender" (x); "Literary Reading by Age" (xi) and "Participation in Cultural and Social Activities" (xii)
Norman Rockwell: The Spirit of Education
David Sedaris: "Me Talk Pretty One Day"
James Baldwin: "A Talk to Teachers"
Malcolm X: "Learning to Read"
Frederick Douglass: "Learning to Read and Write"
Sherman Alexie: "Superman and Me"
Leon Botstein: "Let Teenagers Try Adulthood"
Eric A. Hanushek et al.: U.S. Math Performance in Global Perspective (2009 study results)
Diane Ravitch: "Stop the Madness" You will need to read the following sections: "On 'No Child Left Behind'", "On Her Favorite Teacher", "On How to Improve Our Schools"
David Barboza: "Shanghai Schools' Approach Pushes Students to Top of Tests"
What about the continued debate regarding what is important when it comes to learning material in school? A recent study looked at measuring students' self-control in the digital age, and the results and challenges to the theory are interesting.
The issue of grit is also discussed in the self-control article. Do you have grit? Check out the article and follow the link to the Grit test they offer. Take it and see how you do.
Check out Jessica Lahey's article in The Atlantic entitled "The Gift of Failure." How does this apply to schools today? What needs to happen for this to be a reality for students? Must schools change? Parents? Colleges? Students?
Is the print book dead? Check out this article about e-books versus print books in their battle for market supremacy.
Lover of e-books? Hmm...you may want to check out this article on reading print books versus reading from electronic sources.
In this TED talk by Carol Dweck, she discusses the two ways people approach problem-solving. What mindset do you hold? How could a "growth" mindset help us to be better learners?
Malcolm X describes his coming to understand reading and writing in his essay "Learning to Read." On the 50th anniversary of his assassination, NPR examines Malcolm X as a public speaker. Read the article here and check out the video they also include as he debates James Baldwin. The Code Switch team discusses the difficulty of being a public speaker: rhetoric is hard to craft.
Teachers are everywhere, not just at school. Listen to this inspiring story of a husband who helped his wife with her learning disability. With hard work, patience, and love NOTHING is impossible.
Key and Peele examine the concept of treating teachers like sports stars (and paying them accordingly) in TeachingCenter.
Big Shout Out to MaKenzie Givens (Class of 2020) for these two thought-provoking videos by Prince Ea: "What is School For?" and "I Just Sued the School System." Check them out.
Homework was the BEST thing for students back in the day. Is this still true? Seems like the tide is turning AWAY from loads of homework. Check out the article "The Case for (Quality) Homework" for the most recent trends. Thanks to Abby Davis (Class of 2020) for the information on this interesting article.
Work Unit Readings
Booker T. Washington: The Atlanta Exposition Address Read the entire passage, but the annotations will be for paragraphs 3-13 only.
W.E.B. DuBois: You need to select any section of The Souls of Black Folk; copy and annotate it for class.
Dudley Randall: "Booker T. and W.E.B." Here's a copy of the poem we looked at in class--just in case you need a refresher.
Barbara Lazear Ascher: "On Compassion"
Annie Dillard: "The Stunt Pilot"
Richard Selzer: "The Surgeon as Priest"
Claudia O'Keefe: "The Traveling Bra Salesman's Lesson"
Ellen Goodman: "In Praise of a Snail's Pace"
Tillie Olsen: "I Stand Here Ironing"
George Eliot: "Old Leisure"
If you are interested, and I know you are, in a follow up to Barbara Ehrenreich's essay "Serving in Florida" you can check out her commentary entitled Nickel and Dimed (2011 Version) here.
Check out "Your Guide to Dining from the Dumpster." The links to Harvest Public Media are also worth your time; it's at the bottom of the article.
Here's a short video on the Gleaner's Kitchen and their dumpster diving efforts. Here's how they rescue and use food in their community.
Check out what Europe is doing regarding its ugly fruits and veggies. Another effort to reduce the waste around the world. Check Intermarche's other video on ugly fruits and veggies here.
Want to toss out your food trash in Seattle; you might want to reconsider.
Another shocking piece of information: Rob Greenfield found all of this as he went dumpster diving across America.
Instead of dumpster diving, why not consider LIVING in one? That's exactly what this professor did.
W.E.B. DuBois: You need to select any section of The Souls of Black Folk; copy and annotate it for class.
Dudley Randall: "Booker T. and W.E.B." Here's a copy of the poem we looked at in class--just in case you need a refresher.
Barbara Lazear Ascher: "On Compassion"
Annie Dillard: "The Stunt Pilot"
Richard Selzer: "The Surgeon as Priest"
Claudia O'Keefe: "The Traveling Bra Salesman's Lesson"
Ellen Goodman: "In Praise of a Snail's Pace"
Tillie Olsen: "I Stand Here Ironing"
George Eliot: "Old Leisure"
If you are interested, and I know you are, in a follow up to Barbara Ehrenreich's essay "Serving in Florida" you can check out her commentary entitled Nickel and Dimed (2011 Version) here.
Check out "Your Guide to Dining from the Dumpster." The links to Harvest Public Media are also worth your time; it's at the bottom of the article.
Here's a short video on the Gleaner's Kitchen and their dumpster diving efforts. Here's how they rescue and use food in their community.
Check out what Europe is doing regarding its ugly fruits and veggies. Another effort to reduce the waste around the world. Check Intermarche's other video on ugly fruits and veggies here.
Want to toss out your food trash in Seattle; you might want to reconsider.
Another shocking piece of information: Rob Greenfield found all of this as he went dumpster diving across America.
Instead of dumpster diving, why not consider LIVING in one? That's exactly what this professor did.
Argument and Research Unit
Tom Toles: "Mouth that Roared" in the Washington Post (16 January 2011)
Amy Domini: "Why Investing in Fast Food May Be a Good Thing" in Ode (1 April 2009)
Roger Ebert: Star Wars movie review (1 January 1977)
Anna Quindlen: "The C Word in the Hallways" (28 November 1999)
"Rat Race" from Ethical Consumer
The Steerage by Alfred Stieglitz (1907)
The Heroes of 2001 (postage stamp)
Tom Toles cartoon with President Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize
Michael Binyon: "Absurd Decision on Obama Makes a Mockery of the Nobel Peace Prize" (9 October 2009)
"Felons and the Right to Vote" from The New York Times (11 July 2004)
Jennifer Oladipo: "Why Can't Environmentalism Be Colorblind?" from Orion Magazine (November/December 2007)
Fareed Zakaria: "When Will We Learn?" (28 November 2011)
Dana Thomas: "Terror's Purse Strings" from The New York Times (30 August 2007)
Eight Alabama Clergymen: Public Statement directed to Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr.: "Letter from Birmingham Jail"
Martin Luther King Jr.: "Letter from Birmingham Jail" dramatic reading. This video presents the letter of the Alabama clergymen and King's response which is accompanied by music, newsreel footage and a dramatic reading of the letters. While the presentation is almost an hour in length, it's worth a viewing. Thanks to Nick Newman (Class of 2015) for finding this and sharing it with the rest of us.
Thomas Jefferson: The Declaration of Independence
Elizabeth Cady Stanton: The Declaration of Sentiments
Satire Unit:
Love the satirical tone of Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal"? Check out the reviews for BIC Cristal for Her at Amazon.
Still want more satire? Check this Op-ed piece from the NY Times on 27 February 2014 by Greg Hampikian
Here's an article about gang violence in Chicago.
Amy Domini: "Why Investing in Fast Food May Be a Good Thing" in Ode (1 April 2009)
Roger Ebert: Star Wars movie review (1 January 1977)
Anna Quindlen: "The C Word in the Hallways" (28 November 1999)
"Rat Race" from Ethical Consumer
The Steerage by Alfred Stieglitz (1907)
The Heroes of 2001 (postage stamp)
Tom Toles cartoon with President Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize
Michael Binyon: "Absurd Decision on Obama Makes a Mockery of the Nobel Peace Prize" (9 October 2009)
"Felons and the Right to Vote" from The New York Times (11 July 2004)
Jennifer Oladipo: "Why Can't Environmentalism Be Colorblind?" from Orion Magazine (November/December 2007)
Fareed Zakaria: "When Will We Learn?" (28 November 2011)
Dana Thomas: "Terror's Purse Strings" from The New York Times (30 August 2007)
Eight Alabama Clergymen: Public Statement directed to Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr.: "Letter from Birmingham Jail"
Martin Luther King Jr.: "Letter from Birmingham Jail" dramatic reading. This video presents the letter of the Alabama clergymen and King's response which is accompanied by music, newsreel footage and a dramatic reading of the letters. While the presentation is almost an hour in length, it's worth a viewing. Thanks to Nick Newman (Class of 2015) for finding this and sharing it with the rest of us.
Thomas Jefferson: The Declaration of Independence
Elizabeth Cady Stanton: The Declaration of Sentiments
Satire Unit:
Love the satirical tone of Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal"? Check out the reviews for BIC Cristal for Her at Amazon.
Still want more satire? Check this Op-ed piece from the NY Times on 27 February 2014 by Greg Hampikian
Here's an article about gang violence in Chicago.
Language Unit
Check out the dialect quiz the New York Times ran on 21 December 2013. Take it and find out where you fall on the dialect continuum.
Walt Whitman: "Slang in America"
George Orwell: Politics and the English Language
Eric Liu: Notes of a Native Speaker
Tom Dalzell, an expert on American slang, examines the impact of slang in American culture and the force youth has on its existence and changes. You can read the full article here.
Check out this short excerpt on Shakespeare and some of the words/phrases he invented for the English language.
So what makes a word "real"? Check out this TED video for possible answers.
In this brief TED presentation, poet and educator Jamila Lyiscott discusses the various forms of English she uses throughout her life in her audio essay entitled "Broken English."
Erin McKean encourages her audience to make up their own words in this fun TED talk.
Several language lovers who live in southeastern Missouri are scrambling to save what little remains of pawpaw French so it won't completely disappear.
Check out this piece by James Thomas from The New Yorker giving his sage advice on "How to Write a Sentence."
Here's a TED talk about how a child goes from "gaaa" to "water" in "The Birth of a Word."
How do dialects stay alive? Here's how.
How about the words, images, and pace of life and how we respond to it? Kenny Chesney makes this observation in his most recent song and video "Noise."
John Koenig discusses the "realness" of words in this brief TEDx Berkeley talk from 2016. Compare/Contrast his observations to those of Anne Curzan (whose TED talk is linked above).
Linguist John McWhorter (TED 2013) discusses texting (yes, texting is a language in and of itself). And no, it's not the threat most oldsters feel it is either. Check out "Txtng is Killing the Language. JK!!"
Ever tried to read a tax form or a consumer credit agreement or government legislation? It's virtually impossible, and Alan Siegel has an interesting suggestion: "Let's Simplify Legal Jargon!" (TED 2010).
Think spell-check will solve all of your editing woes? Think again. Taylor Mali cautions us in his poem "The The Impotence of Proofreading."
Do you just roll out of bed and grab the first items you see to wear for the day? According to Kaustav Dey our clothing choices have more impact on what we say about ourselves than we imagine.
Walt Whitman: "Slang in America"
George Orwell: Politics and the English Language
Eric Liu: Notes of a Native Speaker
Tom Dalzell, an expert on American slang, examines the impact of slang in American culture and the force youth has on its existence and changes. You can read the full article here.
Check out this short excerpt on Shakespeare and some of the words/phrases he invented for the English language.
So what makes a word "real"? Check out this TED video for possible answers.
In this brief TED presentation, poet and educator Jamila Lyiscott discusses the various forms of English she uses throughout her life in her audio essay entitled "Broken English."
Erin McKean encourages her audience to make up their own words in this fun TED talk.
Several language lovers who live in southeastern Missouri are scrambling to save what little remains of pawpaw French so it won't completely disappear.
Check out this piece by James Thomas from The New Yorker giving his sage advice on "How to Write a Sentence."
Here's a TED talk about how a child goes from "gaaa" to "water" in "The Birth of a Word."
How do dialects stay alive? Here's how.
How about the words, images, and pace of life and how we respond to it? Kenny Chesney makes this observation in his most recent song and video "Noise."
John Koenig discusses the "realness" of words in this brief TEDx Berkeley talk from 2016. Compare/Contrast his observations to those of Anne Curzan (whose TED talk is linked above).
Linguist John McWhorter (TED 2013) discusses texting (yes, texting is a language in and of itself). And no, it's not the threat most oldsters feel it is either. Check out "Txtng is Killing the Language. JK!!"
Ever tried to read a tax form or a consumer credit agreement or government legislation? It's virtually impossible, and Alan Siegel has an interesting suggestion: "Let's Simplify Legal Jargon!" (TED 2010).
Think spell-check will solve all of your editing woes? Think again. Taylor Mali cautions us in his poem "The The Impotence of Proofreading."
Do you just roll out of bed and grab the first items you see to wear for the day? According to Kaustav Dey our clothing choices have more impact on what we say about ourselves than we imagine.
Hamlet
Hamlet: full text online at The Folger SHAKESPEARE. You can scroll down to the Act and/or scene you need.
Need help with citations for the dreaded literary criticism paper at the end of the unit? Go here for a cheat sheet.
Richard Burton: Soliloquy 3: "O what a rogue and peasant slave" (1964)
Alexander Petrunkevitch: "The Spider and the Wasp" (1952)
Poor Hamlet. If he only had this advice from TED talk speaker Pamela Meyer when he was home in Denmark.
Virginia Woolf: "The Death of the Moth" (1942)
Kenneth Branagh: "O What a Rogue and Peasant Slave" (1996)
David Tennant: "O What a Rogue and Peasant Slave" (2010) www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zl1nRiw6NI
George Orwell: "Shooting an Elephant" (1936)
Stephanie Ericsson: "The Ways We Lie"
Barbara Lazear Ascher: "On Compassion"
Nancy Mairs: "On Being a Cripple"
Need help with citations for the dreaded literary criticism paper at the end of the unit? Go here for a cheat sheet.
Richard Burton: Soliloquy 3: "O what a rogue and peasant slave" (1964)
Alexander Petrunkevitch: "The Spider and the Wasp" (1952)
Poor Hamlet. If he only had this advice from TED talk speaker Pamela Meyer when he was home in Denmark.
Virginia Woolf: "The Death of the Moth" (1942)
Kenneth Branagh: "O What a Rogue and Peasant Slave" (1996)
David Tennant: "O What a Rogue and Peasant Slave" (2010) www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zl1nRiw6NI
George Orwell: "Shooting an Elephant" (1936)
Stephanie Ericsson: "The Ways We Lie"
Barbara Lazear Ascher: "On Compassion"
Nancy Mairs: "On Being a Cripple"
Gender Unit
Check out this article on being a stay-at-home dad.
The roots of gender differences by NPR
How do women react to being photo-shopped?
Another new company that's changing the shape (pun intended) of women's attitudes toward themselves is Knixwear. Check out their "Every Body has a Story" campaign here. Watch the video and read the more in-depth profiles while you visit.
Hair is a big deal especially when it comes to women and their choices to cut it. Consider this New York Times article, "Buzzed: The Politics of Hair."
Or how about Shonda Rimes' partnering with Dove to create a new set of stories about beauty and self-esteem. Check out the stories here.
Struggling with body image or what the "perfect" body looks like? Photographer Howard Schatz photographed Olympic athletes back in 2013 and placed their photos side-by-side; you truly cannot judge a book by its cover in this case.
Does advertising influence the products children wish to have? Check out this article about LEGO and advertising back in the day and now.
This is what real men look like when they model underwear.
Meghan Trainor's music video discusses the issue of body image and women. It's cheeky.
Tired of the commentary from Bro Country? Check out Maddie and Tae's response to the common images assigned to women by men in country tunes in "Girl in a Country Song."
NPR did a series over the course of the summer of 2014 on men; here's just one of their charts about men--what's changed and what's remained fairly static.
Or how about this one: The 3 Scariest Words a Boy Can Hear. I recommend listening to the audio rather than reading the story.
NPR's series continues with a feature entitled "The Face of the Millennial Man, Sketched in Data."
Here are two more stories about manhood and how it's taught in schools in California at Deep Springs College and East Bay School for Boys.
How about this one that shocked the comic book world: Thor cast as female. Check out the response and interview with the comic book writer. If you want to read the initial story about Thor's gender switch, you can read the tab off to the side. There's a cool one on the changes to Captain America there, but the changes to him were met with less violent emotions.
What movies make men cry? Find out here.
Which movies through the decades have defined manhood? Read or listen to this feature to find out.
This NPR feature on women in the tech industry is worth a read as well. Some of the sidebar articles are also worth a read/listen.
Edward Schumacher-Matos reports on sexism in the news, and it's males who are being left out. Check out this link for the story. There are several other links within the article which are worthy of your time as well.
Jennifer Ludden reports on the growing number of men requesting paternity leave and the difficulties with getting it. Read or listen to the feature here.
NPR's series on manhood continues with a look at fathers who blog and are helping to redefine fatherhood. Read or listen to the feature here.
How about this article from The Huffington Post entitled "If Our Sons Were Treated Like our Daughters."
What biases do you have? After reading the Brent Staples piece, it might be wise to check out this TED talk by diversity expert Verna Myers.
Olympe de Gouges: The Declaration of the Rights of Women
What happens when guys get photoshopped? Check out this video to find out.
Tired of the "fat-shaming" that goes on? Check out Erin Brown's essay "Why I Love Being Big."
Here's another look at what it means to be "masculine" and "feminine" and why we need to reshape the argument.
Here's an honest talk from several men who strip down to reveal the bodies you don't see on TV or in ads and how they feel about it. Body shaming is real for men, too.
Men face just as many challenges in society as women. Joe Ehrmann addresses one of the most difficult issues in this TEDx talk.
Is architecture biased? Find out here what John Cary thinks in "How Architecture Can Create Dignity for All" from TEDWomen 2017.
If you think gender is just a "male" or "female" set of options, Sam Killerman shares his thoughts on the complexities of gender in his TEDx talk at the University of Chicago.
H&M's autumn collection for 2016 takes the stereotypical feminine ideal and flips the script. Check it out here.
For some women, staying at home to cook, clean and care for kids wasn't a burning desire. Idella Hansen and Sandi Talbott not only challenged gender roles in the early 1970s, they continue to do so now. And now they are challenging age-related roles, too.
Caroline Paul has some helpful advice for all of us, especially if you have young girls who are a part of your life. Check out her talk (TED Women 2016) entitled "To Raise Brave Girls, Encourage Adventure."
Here's an oldie, but a goodie: Gloria Steinem's essay "If Men Could Menstruate" from Ms. Magazine's October 1978 issue.
Dave Barry: "Lost in the Kitchen"
The following articles and links deal with issues of gender identity and how it relates to sexual identity. If this is something you do not wish to examine, please feel free to skip these articles; however, they are available so students who wish to explore these issues have some place to begin. They are also being offered as a way to fairly represent the diverse student population in our school.
This article and pictorial history first appeared in Herstory. This collection of photographs of lesbian history spans 150 years. Note: some of the quoted material contains strong language and some of the images are also provocative.
In a March 2016 article by Pink News writers discuss a new survey about Generation Z and their sexual preferences.
J. Bryan Lowder, associate editor at Slate, writes about Gale's new LGBTQ archive here.
The roots of gender differences by NPR
How do women react to being photo-shopped?
Another new company that's changing the shape (pun intended) of women's attitudes toward themselves is Knixwear. Check out their "Every Body has a Story" campaign here. Watch the video and read the more in-depth profiles while you visit.
Hair is a big deal especially when it comes to women and their choices to cut it. Consider this New York Times article, "Buzzed: The Politics of Hair."
Or how about Shonda Rimes' partnering with Dove to create a new set of stories about beauty and self-esteem. Check out the stories here.
Struggling with body image or what the "perfect" body looks like? Photographer Howard Schatz photographed Olympic athletes back in 2013 and placed their photos side-by-side; you truly cannot judge a book by its cover in this case.
Does advertising influence the products children wish to have? Check out this article about LEGO and advertising back in the day and now.
This is what real men look like when they model underwear.
Meghan Trainor's music video discusses the issue of body image and women. It's cheeky.
Tired of the commentary from Bro Country? Check out Maddie and Tae's response to the common images assigned to women by men in country tunes in "Girl in a Country Song."
NPR did a series over the course of the summer of 2014 on men; here's just one of their charts about men--what's changed and what's remained fairly static.
Or how about this one: The 3 Scariest Words a Boy Can Hear. I recommend listening to the audio rather than reading the story.
NPR's series continues with a feature entitled "The Face of the Millennial Man, Sketched in Data."
Here are two more stories about manhood and how it's taught in schools in California at Deep Springs College and East Bay School for Boys.
How about this one that shocked the comic book world: Thor cast as female. Check out the response and interview with the comic book writer. If you want to read the initial story about Thor's gender switch, you can read the tab off to the side. There's a cool one on the changes to Captain America there, but the changes to him were met with less violent emotions.
What movies make men cry? Find out here.
Which movies through the decades have defined manhood? Read or listen to this feature to find out.
This NPR feature on women in the tech industry is worth a read as well. Some of the sidebar articles are also worth a read/listen.
Edward Schumacher-Matos reports on sexism in the news, and it's males who are being left out. Check out this link for the story. There are several other links within the article which are worthy of your time as well.
Jennifer Ludden reports on the growing number of men requesting paternity leave and the difficulties with getting it. Read or listen to the feature here.
NPR's series on manhood continues with a look at fathers who blog and are helping to redefine fatherhood. Read or listen to the feature here.
How about this article from The Huffington Post entitled "If Our Sons Were Treated Like our Daughters."
What biases do you have? After reading the Brent Staples piece, it might be wise to check out this TED talk by diversity expert Verna Myers.
Olympe de Gouges: The Declaration of the Rights of Women
What happens when guys get photoshopped? Check out this video to find out.
Tired of the "fat-shaming" that goes on? Check out Erin Brown's essay "Why I Love Being Big."
Here's another look at what it means to be "masculine" and "feminine" and why we need to reshape the argument.
Here's an honest talk from several men who strip down to reveal the bodies you don't see on TV or in ads and how they feel about it. Body shaming is real for men, too.
Men face just as many challenges in society as women. Joe Ehrmann addresses one of the most difficult issues in this TEDx talk.
Is architecture biased? Find out here what John Cary thinks in "How Architecture Can Create Dignity for All" from TEDWomen 2017.
If you think gender is just a "male" or "female" set of options, Sam Killerman shares his thoughts on the complexities of gender in his TEDx talk at the University of Chicago.
H&M's autumn collection for 2016 takes the stereotypical feminine ideal and flips the script. Check it out here.
For some women, staying at home to cook, clean and care for kids wasn't a burning desire. Idella Hansen and Sandi Talbott not only challenged gender roles in the early 1970s, they continue to do so now. And now they are challenging age-related roles, too.
Caroline Paul has some helpful advice for all of us, especially if you have young girls who are a part of your life. Check out her talk (TED Women 2016) entitled "To Raise Brave Girls, Encourage Adventure."
Here's an oldie, but a goodie: Gloria Steinem's essay "If Men Could Menstruate" from Ms. Magazine's October 1978 issue.
Dave Barry: "Lost in the Kitchen"
The following articles and links deal with issues of gender identity and how it relates to sexual identity. If this is something you do not wish to examine, please feel free to skip these articles; however, they are available so students who wish to explore these issues have some place to begin. They are also being offered as a way to fairly represent the diverse student population in our school.
This article and pictorial history first appeared in Herstory. This collection of photographs of lesbian history spans 150 years. Note: some of the quoted material contains strong language and some of the images are also provocative.
In a March 2016 article by Pink News writers discuss a new survey about Generation Z and their sexual preferences.
J. Bryan Lowder, associate editor at Slate, writes about Gale's new LGBTQ archive here.
Science and Technology Unit
Pete Hamill: "Crack in the Box"_
Scientific American: "Okay We Give Up"
NPR: "An Artificial Arm Gives One Man the Chance to Feel Again"
Here's another article from NPR on recent studies on children and the positive and negative effects of playing violent video games.
Look at how technology is now making it possible for artificial limbs to act like real ones in this TED talk with Hugh Herr.
Check out Cahterine Crump's TED talk: "The Small and Dangerously Surprising Detail the Police Track about You."
All that fast-paced technology got your head spinning? Try this TED Talk by Thomas Hellum: "The World's Most Boring Television...and Why It's Hilariously Addictive."
Medical advances keep marching forward. Some are downright freaky while others are super cool. Joe Landolina's presentation on this remarkable gel he invented falls into the super-cool category.
The Terminator movie series introduced film-goers to the "rise of the machines" back in the mid-1980s. Now, technologist Jeremy Howard shares new developments in the fast-moving field of deep learning.
Here's a device that may revolutionize medicine in developing countries.
Hugh Herr is a leading scientist in bionic limbs. Check out his TED talk on new advances.
Have we taken technology too far when it comes to our search for more fossil fuels? Many residents of Oklahoma think we have.
Are designer babies soon to be a reality? Critics in the scientific community criticized a Chinese scientist who edited the DNA of a human embryo.
Nicolas Carr asks a compelling question in his essay in The Atlantic. What's your take on his question?
Ellen Jorgensen discusses what we need to know about CRISPR in this TED talk.
Scientific American: "Okay We Give Up"
NPR: "An Artificial Arm Gives One Man the Chance to Feel Again"
Here's another article from NPR on recent studies on children and the positive and negative effects of playing violent video games.
Look at how technology is now making it possible for artificial limbs to act like real ones in this TED talk with Hugh Herr.
Check out Cahterine Crump's TED talk: "The Small and Dangerously Surprising Detail the Police Track about You."
All that fast-paced technology got your head spinning? Try this TED Talk by Thomas Hellum: "The World's Most Boring Television...and Why It's Hilariously Addictive."
Medical advances keep marching forward. Some are downright freaky while others are super cool. Joe Landolina's presentation on this remarkable gel he invented falls into the super-cool category.
The Terminator movie series introduced film-goers to the "rise of the machines" back in the mid-1980s. Now, technologist Jeremy Howard shares new developments in the fast-moving field of deep learning.
Here's a device that may revolutionize medicine in developing countries.
Hugh Herr is a leading scientist in bionic limbs. Check out his TED talk on new advances.
Have we taken technology too far when it comes to our search for more fossil fuels? Many residents of Oklahoma think we have.
Are designer babies soon to be a reality? Critics in the scientific community criticized a Chinese scientist who edited the DNA of a human embryo.
Nicolas Carr asks a compelling question in his essay in The Atlantic. What's your take on his question?
Ellen Jorgensen discusses what we need to know about CRISPR in this TED talk.
All Things Grammar and Mechanics
Not sure about the difference between fewer and less? The great debate rages--does it really matter at the check-out lane?
Here's William Safire's take on this very issue.
Not sure about the Oxford comma? Check out this TED lesson on its use.
If you need more instruction regarding the lovely comma, check out this fun vid from TEDed.
Even Weird Al has something to say about bad grammar in his song "Word Crimes."
Need something off-beat? More dramatic? Check out this sketch called Grammar Nazis by College Humor.
Here's NPR's end of the year grammar quiz and list of complaints from listeners. Check it out here. And while you're at it, why not look at one of the many phrases that drives me out of my tree: begging the question. Find out what it means and what is really meant when someone says, "it begs the question." It's one of the links on the same page.
Still not convinced your grammar and mechanics DO count in the "real world"? Check out this.
Here's William Safire's take on this very issue.
Not sure about the Oxford comma? Check out this TED lesson on its use.
If you need more instruction regarding the lovely comma, check out this fun vid from TEDed.
Even Weird Al has something to say about bad grammar in his song "Word Crimes."
Need something off-beat? More dramatic? Check out this sketch called Grammar Nazis by College Humor.
Here's NPR's end of the year grammar quiz and list of complaints from listeners. Check it out here. And while you're at it, why not look at one of the many phrases that drives me out of my tree: begging the question. Find out what it means and what is really meant when someone says, "it begs the question." It's one of the links on the same page.
Still not convinced your grammar and mechanics DO count in the "real world"? Check out this.
Random Ideas and Observations
Okay, here's stuff I've read or viewed that really doesn't fit into a unit we've studied, but it all make me think a little bit differently after the experience. I hope you will give a few of them a try.
Drop those electronic devices--handwriting is still important.
Still feeling like blending into the crowd is the best route? Not looking to be the non-conformist Emerson advocated? Check out this TED talk for some inspiration.
Stuck in a musical rut? Think classical music is stuffy and for anyone but you? Check out this TED talk by Benjamin Zander.
Read The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell? Remember when he discussed the "stickiness factor" and hit songs. Well, now there's proof that the formula works. At least with these country hits.
Drop those electronic devices--handwriting is still important.
Still feeling like blending into the crowd is the best route? Not looking to be the non-conformist Emerson advocated? Check out this TED talk for some inspiration.
Stuck in a musical rut? Think classical music is stuffy and for anyone but you? Check out this TED talk by Benjamin Zander.
Read The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell? Remember when he discussed the "stickiness factor" and hit songs. Well, now there's proof that the formula works. At least with these country hits.